Hairy MacLairy has been brought into the barn for a short visit because he keeps scraping his knees. Blood and flies in the field can be a nasty mix. I have been trying to treat his grazes in the field but he hates the wound spray and gallops away when he sees me coming. Then yesterday he turned up with blood running down his leg after opening up an abrasion I thought had healed. So I have had to bring him in until his wounds heal properly. I am still working in the barn, building and cleaning so he is not lonely, but boy that ram can sulk.
He has the pigs for company and Daisy visits but evidently that is not enough.
With the wind still not letting up TonTon has taken it upon himself to be my hatcatcher. So when the hat flies off, making a desperate bid for freedom, Ton will chase it down, catch it, give it a good shake as some kind of reprimand and then return it to me.
At either end of the verandah is a beautifully scented Mock Orange. These are quite big bushes. Yesterday I realised that I had been seeing a female Northern Cardinal in and out of this bush close to the house, quite often. 
She and her mate were also singing very loudly in the tree close to the window. Usually they are right up in the tops of the big trees. Look what I have found. And this nest is not on the far side of the shrub where it is darker and quieter, it is right next to the railing.
If she starts to lay eggs so close to the house I am going to have to stop using these front steps for a while. 
Talking of birds. You know what the guineas are waiting for don’t you.
Good morning. I did get my quiet ordinary day at home. Daisy was looked over by the expert and has a few days to go she thinks. Though of course there are no guarantees about anything this is farming after all.
I have to do some work with the Old Codger today that cannot wait, so I hope Daisy holds off for a few more days for me. I need to bring Dale from the retirement home back to his house to meet the rehabilitation people, for a house inspection with them, in anticipation of his release. I guess he has to prove to them that he can manage safely by himself in the house. This property has been his home for almost a hundred years, so I am crossing my fingers for him.
You all have a lovely day.
celi
PS I cannot remember if I mentioned this before but if The Kitchen’s Garden has dropped off your wordpress list do press unfollow and then follow again. There has been some hiccup in the process and I don’t want you to get lost. You will be unsubscribing then resubscribing and that way you will get your email notifications of The Kitchens Garden pages the moment they are posted. I would hate you to miss out on the arrival of the newest addition to the farmy. I will be posting on Facebook as usual. Just out of interest I do post my favourite shot from each post on my Pinterest board. Plus shots I like from your posts too. c
The Kitchen's Garden 
79 responses to “Northern Cardinals come home to roost.”
Poor Hairy…such a sad face. Too bad there’s no way for him to understand WHY he’s grounded…
Best of luck to the Old Codger on his release! Tell him we’re all rooting for him!
Hairy practices that miserable face. But even after 24 hours in lock up his legs are drying up and scabbing over.. I think the flies in the fields exacerbate the problem or maybe like me he is allergic to yellow blossom clover! c
You take care of SO many living beings – two legged and four! Wonderful!
Morning GMom, I am sure you do too.. in fact we all look after each other in different ways! c
I can just hear the cardinals’ call … “purdy, purdy, purdy …” They do seem to prefer thick bushes even to trees. As I recall from my youth, they seem to be prone to noise-making even before the chickens.
yes you remember correctly Bill, they are early risers and their call is brilliantly loud.. I am especially pleased to have them nesting here this year, it has taken a while to grow enough foliage around the property for the birds to stay.. c
Boys will be boys – poor Hairy. What a stunning bird to have nesting on your verandah! Hope all went well with the Old Codger. Laura
I hope all goes well for The Old Codger too.. fingers crossed.. c
Good morning Celi! The best of luck with “The Old Codger”. All of our fingers are crossed that Daisy waits while you are traveling to and fro!
Ok I am back and she is still waiting.. phew.. c
hairy sure is unhappy….poor boy! ton ton is too funny. a hat retriever!
yes T is the opposite of that miserable old ram! c
I do hope Dale is able to go home! What a blessing that would be for him.
Hope you are able to catch a couple of photos of the Cardinals!
Have a lovely day ~ April 🙂
Morning April.. I need to start stalking the cardinals with my camera.. they are so BRIGHT on the landscape! c
Oh, I could just hug that ram! How lovely for you to have a nest so close! I hope that Mrs Cardinal will allow you to zoom in on some progress shots.
Christine
And i know this sounds strange but he likes to be hugged, he will stand quite still while I gently reach around his whole body and hug him, as long as he can rest his head on you and vice versa..he is a most unusual sheep. morning christine
He certainly is! I reared an orphan lamb once and he tupped me black and blue even though he’d started out as quite a cuddly character!
Christine
(laughter) they get big!! c
Your heart is so filled with love. You are simply an amazing woman.
Morning Audrey.. what a lovely thing to say.. i think it is universal though.. in fact i would go so far as to say that most of our blogging pen pals do the same kinds of things.. c
You have such a lovely place there, Cecilia! And your critters must certainly be feeling the love. 🙂
I found I had to re subscribea couple of weeks ago, odd. crossing my fingers for the old codger
Poor Hairy…but boys do tend to be sulkers! I do hope all goes well for the Old Codger, it would be awful if he had to leave his home 😦 And thanks for the shot of the Mock Orange Blossom – we had a cutting from a neighbour and I was convinced that this was what we have, now I´m sure (and yes, it smells wonderful).
It is very sweet rigth by the verandah however its sweetness does attract a curious mixture of bugs none of which are bees strangely..
The poor ram!! Soon you will have baby birds!!
Oh dear Hairy MacLairy…I would come and keep you company if I could, I hate to see you sulk.
Here’s to the Old Codgers home visit going well.
Have a happy day C.
🙂 Mandy
Hi Celi! Guess what! We got our two “lender mama” goats and I milked goats for the first time in my life last night!!! It was great! And it was very easy to do. Now we are looking up goat cheese recipes, and the dogs and cats and we, too, are fat and sassy after drinking the goats milk this morning. You have a real treat coming with Daisy! Di
Woo Hoo, you are a star! i forgot to ask if you have a milking machine.. it is the machine that scares me really! i am not very good with them! c
Nope, no milking machine! Just our hands! Already I feel my hands getting stronger, and I should be developing stronger upper arms soon! 🙂
ah, well don’t tell our John, I campaigned long and hard for my little machine!! To milk a whole cow by hand takes too long.. they have a lot of milk and double the teats!! c